


sweeter than wine, softer than a summer's night

by dewdrops



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Ableist Language, Alternate Universe - Amusement Park, Angst, Co-workers, Flirting, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, SkamFicWeek, So much flirting, just a pinch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 04:51:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11844294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dewdrops/pseuds/dewdrops
Summary: "It's a pretty slow day... no ride mishaps, only a few cases of food poisoning. Not much else to talk about." Isak shrugs, looking up at Even. Even feels like a melting rat under the gaze of what must be some ethereal being, because who looks like that after standing in the same spot under a blazing sun for hours on end?Even's too distracted to notice that Isak's eyes have wandered elsewhere, now fixated on something behind his head. He doesn't move to see what it could possibly be until Isak says, "It looks like one of the giant stuffed frogs from your booth is trying to get away.""What?" Even furrows his eyebrows, turning his head. The group of teenage boys from earlier has found their way into his booth and are now working together to tear down one of the biggest prizes that hang overhead. "Oh, God. They're back."***Or, Isak and Even work at an amusement park.





	sweeter than wine, softer than a summer's night

**Author's Note:**

> jeez this is a little late but it sort of took on a life of its own. it's supposed to be a contribution to skam fic week for the day 5 coworkers prompt. apologies for sapping the scandinavian charm outta these characters and making them work at an obnoxiously american amusement park. drew some inspiration from adventureland, but mostly just the limited supply of giant stuffed animals gag and keeping the shirt as a souvenir thing. title from "this magic moment" by lou reed.

Not unlike most other people, the words 'amusement' and 'park' have positive connotations in Even's mind. Put them together and while there's no memory in particular that stands out amongst the rest, no past event that hijacks his consciousness and makes him reminisce, he still associates the phrase with pleasant memories. He just knows it wasn't uncommon for his parents to bring him as a child, and that he'd been there a few times as a teenager. The opening coincides with the beginning of summer, and it seems to attract larger crowds nearing the peak of the warm weather. 

Even understands. He understands that people want to lap up the last remaining dregs of sunlight while they still can, before they're once again doused in an icy pail of dark mornings and dark nights. And an amusement park is a good place to do so; that, he understands. He just can't understand why it is that seemingly everyone in the park feels like trying their luck at ring toss at the same time. 

It's not that great, and he's not just saying that just because he's forced to demonstrate the rules of the game to every person who looks slightly unsure when he hands them their rings. It's by far the least alluring game in the park; they're all fixed to ensure your lack of success, but at least the balloon darts station is colorful and it's actually _possible_ to shoot a ball into a net. 

Or, better yet. It's Isak who's currently manning the floating duck station. The prizes tend to rank lowest on the totem pole of carnival prizes, but he's pretty sure that Isak could scoop up a handful a dirt and make him feel as though it was the greatest reward he could possibly earn. Clearly, the few small children who've crowded Isak's station feel the same... that, or they just have yet to realize that the prizes they're winning are worth far less than the price their parents paying for them to play. 

Even thinks he'd be able to see Isak's arm from where he's standing if he moves slightly to the right, but his plan to do so is quickly thwarted. "Can you show me again?" The kid from earlier still hasn't thrown his ring. He's looks to be about fourteen, and he's wearing an unabashed smirk on his face. He has a gaggle of other boys around the same age behind him, and they're snickering amongst themselves. 

Even doesn't mind kids; not even when they reach this age of rebellion, and develop a certain brand of sociopathy for anybody outside of their inner circle. He vaguely remembers a time like that, feeling that reckless urge to find some trouble and get away unscathed on a near constant basis. So he reaches for another ring. "Sure." 

As he moves to his arm to throw it, the kid says, "Wait." When Even looks at him, eyebrows raised, he continues to speak. "Throw it from where I'm standing." 

Okay, maybe he does mind them when they come to his booth on a sweltering, busy day and demand special treatment. He tries not to let his annoyance slip through the cracks in his facade, plastering on a smile as his eyes wonder to the ever-growing line behind the boy and his goons. "Sorry, I can't leave the booth," he says. He then takes a small step back, hoping this will appease the kids. "I'll do it from here, okay?" 

It might have been heat stroke, or it might have been his growing frustration at this shift. But the reason his ring bounces off the neck of the bottle is probably neither of these, and just a result of his own poor aim. It clatters in between the bottles, and Even prepares himself for the worst. 

The worst turns out not to be so bad. His failure makes the kids so happy that they drop their rings without even taking a try. They run off in a flurry of laughter and obscenities, and he tends to the next person in line. As they make their throw, he looks up at the balloon darts booth across the way and sees his own friends having some fun at his expense. Mikael is imitating his missed throw, while Yousef watches, looking far too amused for someone who's been in his position, who has endured this pain. 

He slowly works his way through the line, and just when it seems as if there's no end in sight, the last group saunters off and something incredible happens. There's no one waiting behind them. He knows the lull wont last for long, so he jumps on the chance to get out of the booth for a short break. 

Mikael now looks busy in the balloon booth, and while Yousef's nowhere to be seen, Even would feel confident placing bets on his whereabouts. Sana's basketball hoops are not in his line of sight, but they're close enough he can practically hear the labored attempts at making her laugh. 

Even takes one last look at his empty booth before making his way to Isak's duck station. He's currently crouched, offering a distraught looking little girl something from the consolation prize bucket. Even can't keep the fondness off his face when he pulls out some indistinguishable, tiny plastic trinket and says, "How about this one?" 

Once the girl leaves, plastic thing grasped in both her hands like it's precious and parents trailing closely behind, Even leans against the box that houses the ducks. "Show me how to play?" he asks. 

Isak looks up from where he's rummaging around in the consolation prize bucket, a smile that makes Even feel like he's floating gracing his lips. "I think this one might be a little bit too complicated for you." He puts the bucket down and wipes his hands on his shorts. "I mean, after that thing at the ring toss, maybe it would be best to just get some ice cream and call it quits for the day." 

"You saw that?" 

Isak reaches out to press down on a duck. "I wish," he says. "Yousef told me about it." 

Even thinks he no longer smpathizes with the well-intentioned but uncomfortable way in which Yousef tries to convey his affection towards Sana. "Word travels fast." 

"It's a pretty slow day... no ride mishaps, only a few cases of food poisoning. Not much else to talk about." Isak shrugs, looking up at Even. Even feels like a melting rat under the gaze of what must be some ethereal being, because who looks like that after standing in the same spot under a blazing sun for hours on end? 

Even's too distracted to notice that Isak's eyes have wandered elsewhere, now fixated on something behind his head. He doesn't move to see what it could possibly be until Isak says, "It looks like one the giant stuffed frogs from your booth is trying to get away." 

"What?" Even furrows his eyebrows, turning his head. The group of teenage boys from earlier has found their way into his booth and are now working together to tear down one of the biggest prizes that hang overhead. "Oh, God. They're back." 

Isak laughs, and Even wants so badly to stay with him but there's a limited supply of those giant frogs and he'd rather not hear it from his manager. "I'll talk to you later," he hurriedly promises Isak before jogging away. 

He manages to fend off the boys with the threat of the police. They're likely too high on adrenaline to realize that absolutely no one would call the police over a cheap carnival prize being snatched, and take off before he even enters the booth. He sighs as he straightens the frog out, looking at Isak as he does so. 

Isak looks back, smiling. 

 

***

 

The work itself isn't all that bad, and his coworkers, for the most part, are great. Entering his third week of working at the carnival, Even feels as though he has a pretty good grasp on its inner workings. The games area that he works in is managed by a tall man with cropped ginger hair called Eskild who looked at him for a total of ten seconds prior to hiring him. He's nice, if you close your booth with the same amount of giant stuffed animals that you opened it with. 

Even really couldn't have asked for anything better; he gets to work with two of his closest friends after all. Looking across the way at them and being reminded of the fact that in a couple of months, they'll probably be fucking around in the streets of Berlin or something with the rest of the guys... it's a good feeling. They're all working towards a common goal. 

An even better feeling is looking a little farther, a little to the right, and seeing the blonde boy who has been the subject of both the small sketchbook he carries around in his pocket and his dreams ever since his first shift. 

As Even sits on the ledge of his booth, listening to Mikael try to calculate how much more money he'll have to save to afford the wide-angle lens he's been eyeing up, he looks at the milk bottle pyramid booth where he'd seen Isak for the first time. He'd been talking to Jonas, the bushy haired guy who brings weed to work and tells Even that the milk bottles are a metaphor. They haven't reached the point in the conversation where Jonas tells him exactly what that metaphor is. 

Isak had been wearing the ridiculous shirt they all have to wear that's in the style of those 'I love NY' shirts, except 'NY' is replaced with 'games' in all capital letters. He had been wearing it, but he'd also been somehow making it look not ridiculous, and when he laughed, the sound carried over the perpetual drone of music all the way to Even's booth. He didn't talk to Even until closing, when he returned a ring that had ended up outside the booth. "That must've been an impressive throw," he said, eyes on the ring in his hands. Even's resounding laughter was enough to earn him some odd looks from a few people who were passing through.

Even still thinks about what clever thing he could've said or done in response. He's supposed to be good at this stuff, and he usually is. Yousef doesn't message the group chat when he wants to talk about Sana, he messages Even. Although that could also been due to the fact that her brother is in the group chat. 

The sound of Mikael's drawl effectively ends that particular train of thought when it says Isak's name. Even's not sure what else it said, but he suddenly wants to find out. "What?" 

Mikael doesn't look surprised by this reaction, only mildly annoyed. "I'm going to go ask Isak," he says, as if that's in anyway helpful. 

Even waits for him to continue, but he doesn't. He just stands up and leaves. "Ask Isak what?" he calls after his friend, who instead of answering, flips him off and makes his way over to the duck station. 

It's nearing closing time on a Monday, the sun bathing them in the rosy glow of early dusk. There are a few carnival-goers left, but it's a fairly empty space save for him and his coworkers. He wonders how Esklid would feel about him just leaving, right at that moment. He'd bring the rings that are weighing down the pockets of his apron back tomorrow, but he needs to leave immediately. He needs to, but he can't. He feels glued to his spot on the booth, watching in horror as Mikael begins to talk to Isak. 

He can hear their voices, but he can't hear what they're saying. He tries to watch Isak's mouth, but he's thinking too much to even try to decipher what words are coming out. He just watches as Mikael holds up a hand and... counts? It looks like he's counting on his fingers. 

Curiosity gets the better of him in the end, and in a matter of seconds he's approaching the pair. "And that's with the nineteen percent discount?" Mikael's saying when they come into earshot. 

Isak nods. "But before shipping costs." 

This eases Even's mind, knowing that they're clearly not talking about him. He's recovering when he gets to them, hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Shipping costs of what?" 

They look at him for a moment, and then Mikael takes out his phone. "I think it's free shipping," he mumbles. 

Isak looks between them, a slightly uncomfortable looking smile playing across his lips. Even takes his hands out of pockets, suddenly remembering what his friend had been saying before he completely tuned him out. "Your sixteen to thirty-five milimeter, right?" he asks, as if there haven't been nights where he's drooled over lenses himself. 

Mikael doesn't look up from his phone as he hums. "I was getting Isak to calculate how much I need." 

Even's eyes wander from Mikael's phone to Isak, laughing slowly. "Couldn't you have done that yourself?" 

Mikael looks at him with a pinched expression as if his question isn't completely valid. "It'd take me longer to type in the numbers than it takes him to do it in his head." 

This is new information to Even, and when he looks to Isak for confirmation, he's met with a bashful expression. The skin of his cheeks, bronzed from standing in the sun all day, have taken on a pink hue. "I don't know about that." He scoffs, eyes on the ground. 

"It's true," Mikael says, finally looking from his phone. He looks from Isak to Even, wearing a smirk that turns Even's stomach. Even tries to convey the dread he's feeling in his eyes, staring at Mikael with his jaw set. This seems to do the trick, because Mikael doesn't tell Isak that Even would still be gone for him no matter what. He could push Even into the water that the ducks were bobbing around in and Even would probably thank him. He just says, "No need to act modest, man." 

He then moves closer to Even, slaps him on the shoulder like he hadn't just been plotting to give him a nervous breakdown, and says, "I'll pick up a few extra hours, and then I'll be able to order it after two more pay cheques." He looks serious, and Even feels excited for him. "It'll be here in time for our trip. Just think of all the footage, Even. Think of the footage." 

Even laughs, not wanting to get too excited over camera lenses in front of Isak. "I'm thinking of it," he assures Mikael. 

"Good." Another slap on the shoulder, slightly harder. "Well, looks like it's closing, boys. Time to pick up the remnants of a thousand balloons." 

He leaves Isak and Even alone, and they stand there without speaking for a few long moments, just exchanging soft smiles. Isak has his hands on his hips, and his eyes never stray too far from the ground. "That sounds like it'll be some trip," he says eventually. 

Even hasn't said much about the trip to Isak, only that it was the reason he'd started working at the carnival. He's not sure what the other guys have said about it, so in an effort to avoid repeating details Isak didn't care to hear in the first place, he shrugs and says, "It should be good." 

They lapse back into silence again, and Even shoves his hands back into his pocket. "I better go pick up rings before Eskild comes and sees that one of the giant frogs has moved a few centimetres from where it was this morning." 

Isak nods, and then asks, "Do you need help?" He doesn't wait for Even's response before stepping away from the box of floating ducks and shrugging. "I don't have much to do here, so..." 

He's practically answered the question for Even at that point, but Even smiles anyway and says, "Sure." 

 

***

 

It's the following Wednesday and Even's sitting outside the entrance of the carnival after his shift, sketchbook in his lap. Mikael's sprawled out on the grass beside him, the noise from his phone filling the otherwise quiet air. They've been waiting for Yousef for thirty minutes, and Mikael's clearly getting antsy. "I'm trying to be happy for him but he's making it a little hard," he grumbles. 

Even doesn't look up from the page he's on, eyes trailing along the slope of the nose he'd drawn. "It must be going well." And he's not jealous. He's not. He's here subconsciously drawing Isak's body parts while Yousef's likely having deep, non-work related conversations that make his friends wait for thirty minutes with Sana. He'll eventually get his chance with the real thing... but until then, he'll have to be satisfied with this version of Isak that he's created out of pen and paper. 

There's a faint chatter in the background behind them that gets louder with each passing second, and they both immediately turn their heads. It's not Yousef and Sana, or even Yousef _or_ Sana. It's Isak and Jonas, the latter with a lit joint hanging from his lips and a book in his hand. Even kind of admires his impervious attitude, but it's a little much even for Even's taste, and Even had a joint tucked behind his ear for the better part of third year. 

Even turns his attention to Isak, who has put a hoodie on over his work shirt and has a bag slung over his shoulder. They're making their to where Even and Mikael are sitting, but aren't yet looking in their direction, so Even takes the opportunity to openly stare. He does this until Mikael kicks his foot and says, "You're gonna break your neck, dickhead." 

Even, being terribly unaware of how obvious he is, is grateful for the warning. He heeds Mikael's advice, looking at him with a smile that makes him groan aloud and turn his attention back to his screen. He knows he's not the most subtle; after all, he didn't even have to tell the boys about Isak. They've known since his first shift. The whole runaway ring incident spurred on a lot of teasing in the group chat that evening. 

Isak and Jonas stop in front of them, and greetings are exchanged among the group. Even's eyes are on Isak when he asks, "Good day?" 

Isak's eyes are on Even when he nods and then says, "Eva's parents are out of town on Friday, and she's having a party at her place." He has a hand clasped around the strap of his bag, knuckles white. "We were wondering if you wanted to join." 

Eva works in the ride department of the carnival, but Even's caught her lurking the milk pyramid booth more than once. "Yeah, that'd be great," he says. He's pretty sure he's smiling too widely and making eyes at Isak and doing _that_ again, because Mikael sits up and nudges him in the ribs. 

"Tell Eva we'll bring some booze," Mikael says. 

Isak nods. "Cool." His eyes are fixated on Mikael, as if he's just now realizing that Even's not alone. 

They stand there for a little while longer, not saying much. Jonas is asking Mikael about his hours and Isak is looking at Even's lap. For a second, Even feels pleasantly surprised. That is, until he remembers what he'd been doing before Isak and Jonas arrived. He closes the sketchbook as soon as he realizes what Isak's looking at, which probably serves only to make him look more suspicious. 

It's at that moment that Jonas starts mumbling around his joint. "You coming?" He's talking to Isak, who Even can't seem to make eye contact with. He hears him hum, and then Jonas says, "Let's go, then. See you guys tomorrow." 

Mikael says, "See you," and Even lifts his hand to give a halfhearted wave. 

Once they've gotten far enough that their voices fade into the background, Mikael raises his eyebrows at him. "Are you okay?" 

Even really has to work on his subtility. He shoves the sketchbook into the pocket of his jacket, silently cursing his inability to draw anything other than Isak. "I'm great." He's definitely not telling Mikael about the drawings, knowing that it'd only be fuel to an already blazing fire. "I should be asking you that," he continues, desperately trying to redirect the conversation. "What was all that about booze? You're supposed to be saving up for a lens." 

"I'll tell the other guys to get on it." Mikael shrugs. "I said I'd bring booze, not that I'd buy it." 

Isak and Jonas are far enough now that Even can hardly distinguish them from one another, but he watches them anyway. "Fair enough." He sighs. 

 

***

 

Even shows up to Eva's on Friday with five rambunctious boys trailing closely behind. That in itself is enough to make him nervous. Isak had invited him and Mikael, and he didn't say much about the actual party. It could just be people from work, or Eva's friends with minimal external inference. Whatever the case may be, he could only hope that they'd brought enough alcohol to make their attendance of the party a welcome one. 

His worries turn out to be completely unfounded, as they're swamped by hoards of people as soon as he get through the front door. He recognizes some of them from work, like the blonde with the high-pitched voice named Vilde who worked with Eva in the rides department. She brushes past Even as he makes his way to the kitchen, drink held high above her head. 

When they get to the kitchen, Even's surprised they have any drinks left. The other guys have already begun to mingle amongst the people who've already taken refuge in the kitchen, and while it doesn't seem like such a bad place to hang out, he's not here to simply hang out. This is his chance; the one he'd been waiting for while drawing discombobulated versions of Isak in his sketchbook. He's still unsure if Isak recognized himself in the drawings, but he didn't act like he had. He treated Even the same as always had, and most importantly, he hadn't retracted his invitation to the party. 

Once Even has grabbed two beers, he gets Mikael's attention and says, "I'm going to find Isak." 

He's not sure if he's looking for any form of encouragement, or advice, but he receives neither. "Have fun," Mikael tells him, before promptly turning back to the conversation he was engaged in. 

He goes to brave the living room first, doing a quick but thorough scan of the space before moving on. He didn't think Isak would be there, but it was worth checking just in case. He spends the next five minutes looking around the lower level of Eva's house with no luck. He doesn't feel like he knows Eva well enough to go upstairs, so he ends up standing at the bottom of the staircase, sipping his beer. Maybe Isak just hasn't arrived... or, maybe he isn't coming at all. 

There's another few minutes of waiting, and then he's granted a reprieve in the form of Eva. She all but falls onto him, pushing him back against the wall. He tries to steady her as she giggles, but his job is quickly replaced by a boy with short air and sharp features. She latches onto the boy, while Even stands and watches the event unfold with mild concern. "Eva?" 

Eva turns to look at him, one arm still attached to the boy. "Hey, Even." Her eyes widen after she mumbles the greeting, and she whistles. It's so soft that the music nearly drowns it out, but he's close enough that he hears it. "You look good. Very handsome." She hiccups, leaning against the guy. "Are you dressed up for anyone in particular?" 

Even looks down at his clothes, feeling a little self conscious. He'd spent a little extra time choosing them, but he doesn't think he looks overdressed. "Thanks." He laughs, and chooses to the ignore her question. "Have you seen Isak tonight?" 

This seems to sober Eva up a bit. She stands up straighter, eyes still wide. She's starting to smile. "Are you dressed up for Isak?"

Even tries his best to look affronted, by he knows he's not fooling anybody. This is why he wants to work behind the camera, not in front of it. "What? No," he says. "I just wanted to talk to him about work." 

Eva sinks back into the guy. "I think he was upstairs last time I saw him... but don't talk about work, please." 

"Okay." Even grips the unopened can of beer in his hand, feeling hopeful. He doesn't want to leave Eva in this state, and it turns out he doesn't have to because Vilde sweeps in before he can say another word. 

"Hi, Even," she says, smiling brightly at him. He greets her back as she turns her attention to Eva and the guy, who she calls Chris in an exasperated voice. 

Even takes the opportunity to leave, confident in his journey up the staircase after his talk with Eva. The upper floor of Eva's house is mostly empty, save for the usual suspects: a couple making out against the wall in the hallway, somebody who has clearly had too much to drink sitting on the floor beisde a closed door. Isak could be behind any one of them. 

He tries one, and while it doesn't house Isak, it's empty, so that's a relief. The noises permeating through the following door are enough to stop him from opening it. He _hopes_ that's not Isak. 

The third door he tries leads to a bathroom. It's not just any bathroom either; it's a bathroom with Isak in the bathtub, alongside Jonas and two other boys whom he doesn't recognize. They're passing a makeshift bong amongst each other when Even closes the door behind him. 

One of the boys who's sitting beside Isak, pale with hair that falls in front of his eyes, says, "Hey, man. Do you need to use the bathroom?" 

Jonas reaches out and pushes the kid's shoulder, and Isak snorts. "Shut up," he says, grabbing the bong out of his hands. "That's Even." 

It occurs to Even then that this is the first time he's seen Isak outside of work. He looks different, hair tucked into a snapback and the artificial light casting shadows off his face. He's wearing a white shirt and dark jeans with a flannel overtop. Even hadn't thought it was possible to fall deeper than he'd already been, yet here he is; wavering in the doorway of Eva's bathroom, struck with the inspiration to whip out his sketchbook and draw the way Isak's cheekbones look when he takes a hit from the bong. 

When he's done, he holds it out to Even. "Want a go?" he asks. 

Even nods, glad to be presented with the opportunity to do something other than stand there. The kid from with the hair in his eyes is staring as he approaches, and Isak pushes his shoulder. He seems to get the idea eventually, shifting until there's an empty spot in the tub for Even. "Thanks," he tells the kid, who visibly preens under his attention. 

He puts his own drink on the floor before clambering into the tub. It's a pretty snug fit, and when he settles, his hip is pressed against Isak's. He exchanges the beer in his hand for the bong and lighter, and Isak thanks him and grins widely as he opens it. After he's taken his hit, the blond boy to his left sticks a hand out into the cloud of smoke in front of him. "I'm Magnus." 

Even stares at his hand as Isak groans from beside him. He takes it, gives it a shake, and says, "Even." He then looks over Isak, introducing himself to the other boy who seems to be much more interested in the bong than in him. 

"Mahdi," the boy says with a grateful grin as Even passes it over to him. 

"I'm so confused," Magnus informs them as Even sits back against the side of the tub. He doesn't say anything for what must be a full minute, seemingly waiting for someone to ask him to continue. Even almost does, but this seems to be part of of an ongoing joke that he's not in on and decides against it. When Magnus realizes that no one's saying anything, he sighs and continues to speak. "It's just... how do Jonas and Isak know Even?" 

"We've already told you," Isak says. When Even looks at him, he's pinching the bridge of his nose. "We work together." 

This doesn't seem to clear things up for Magnus, who mumbles, "Oh," and then tilts his head. Slowly but surely, he seems to make sense of it, and he sits upright in the tub, looking at Even with wide eyes. "Oh! You're _Even_." 

Even nods, pursing his lips. He's amused, as are Jonas and Mahdi who watch on silently with smirks on their faces. Isak, on the other hand, is looking down with a pained expression. Even doesn't seem to be the only one to pick up on this, as Jonas stands up and lifts the sunglasses that'd been shielding his eyes from nothing onto his head so he can look at Magnus. "How about we go get some drinks?" 

Magnus thinks about this, but not for too long. "Okay," he answers. He stands up and climbs out of the tub ungracefully, before following Jonas to the door. At the door, he stops and looks back at Even. "Do you want anything, Even?" 

Even smiles, holding his palms up. "I'm good." 

Magnus nods slowly, not moving until Jonas clasps a hand around his arm and practically drags him out of the bathroom. The door is left open a bit, but it's fine because then Mahdi is standing up. "I'm going to see if Eva has any snacks," he says as he makes his way to the door. 

He shuts the door behind him, and the room is silent save for the muffled music from outside. There's no leaky facets, no bong to light (Mahdi took it with him). There's just Isak, who looks significantly less troubled now that his friends have gone, and Even, who definitely has enough room to move over but refuses. 

"Your friends seem nice," Even says eventually, and then internally winces at his own choice of words. 

Isak doesn't withhold his wince as he scoffs and shakes his head. "I've only started hanging around Magnus and Mahdi this summer," he says. "Just at parties and stuff... Mahdi's chill. He's always fun to smoke with." 

"And Magnus?" 

Isak rolls his eyes. "I think he has a crush on you." 

Even laughs, reaching over the side of the tub for his beer. "Do you know all these people from school?" 

"Some of them." 

Even rests his beer on his knee. "You know, some times I forget you're still in school." 

Isak downs the last dregs of beer and puts the empty can down beside him. "Two more years to go," he says. 

"And after that?" 

"I don't know." Isak pauses, keeping his eyes downcast. After a moment, he says, "Or, more school, I guess. There's some things I'm interested in studying." 

Even rests his elbow on the ledge of the tub and leans his head against it. He watches Isak for cues on where to guide this conversation that isn't in anyway related to work. "What kind of things?" It's uncharted territory for them, and Even wants to chart it. He wants to make a map that he adds to every time he learns something new about Isak, wants to translate the words into beautiful places that he can visit whenever he spends time with him. 

"I like biology," Isak says, and then shrugs. "When you actually do work, the natural sciences kind of blend together, if you know what I mean? Like, you pull from your knowledge of the other sciences when you're doing one." He's still looking down as he speaks, voice quiet. "But I think I'd like to focus on biology. Studying living things... it can be really interesting." 

The honesty in Isak's answer makes Even feel warm, and he's pretty sure that Mikael would be hitting him right about now but he can't stop himself from staring and smiling softly. "I'm sure it can be." 

Isak looks over at him, returning the smile. "I'm glad you came tonight." 

"I'm glad you came, too." 

Isak mirrors Even's position, resting his head on his hand. "I needed to get out of the house." Their faces are so close that Even's nose would touch Isak's if he were to move in just a little. "Seeing Eskild at work and at home can get a little much at times." 

Even raises his eyebrows. "You see Eskild at home?" he asks. When Isak nods, Even narrows his eyes. "Are you joking?" 

"No." Isak laughs. "We share a flat." 

"How did _that_ happen?" Even asks, still dubious. 

Isak leans back on his hand, eyes drifting to the ceiling. "He kind of took me in, I guess." He takes some time to recount the next details, and Even is prepared to wait all night. "Things were getting pretty bad at home when he found me... my mom hardly even recognized me last time I saw her. She's really... yeah," he trails off, shaking his head. 

Even doesn't want to pry into the parts of Isak's life that he doesn't want to share, but hearing what he has to say about this in particular somehow feels very important. So, despite the urge to change to topic to something lighthearted before the conversation goes somewhere he definitely doesn't want it to, he says, "Really what?" 

Isak shrugs. "I don't know what's wrong with her," he says. "She's just completely delusional. I can't live with someone like that... someone who can't differentiate reality from whatever's going inside their head. It makes you feel crazy yourself." 

It hurts to hear, and it hurts to know that this is Isak being honest with him. He's telling him how he feels, and it's not like he doesn't have the right to feel that way. When Even doesn't respond, Isak backtracks and says, "She probably doesn't even think there's anything wrong with her." He's looking into Even's eyes. "I tried to help her, but I don't think there's any helping someone like that." 

Even wonders if Isak can see it in his eyes. This awful, shameful feeling; one that he thought he'd managed to eradicate during his turbulent third year that had culminated in him almost not graduating, as well as in the breakup of him and his long-term girlfriend. It's back with a vengeance, destroying everything good and leaving behind absolutely nothing in its place. 

Isak doesn't see it. "All we've done is talk about me." He smiles, maybe even leans in a little closer. Even can't tell. "I don't know anything about you." Even knows this is Isak's way of telling him that he wants to get to know him, but he can't seem to find any words. This is what he's been waiting for ever since Isak had looked at him with that runaway ring clasped in his hands, and he seems to have lost the ability to open his mouth and make sounds come out. "I've seen you with a sketchbook. Do you draw?" he prompts when Even doesn't say anything. 

Before Even can respond, or get up and leave, or both, the bathroom door opens and a blond girl rushes to the toilet. A second girl with very short hair who he recognizes from work comes in after a few seconds. She's works in rides, all the way on the other side of the park, and Even can't remember her name for the life of him. 

She ignores them as she rummages through Eva's cabinet, and Even quickly gets to his feet. He spills his beer a little as he stands, mostly on his pant leg. "Sorry," he says. "I should go find Mikael. He's probably looking for me." 

He gets out of the tub, and he's pretty sure he's attracted the attention of the girls but he can't be bothered to care. He looks at Isak one last time, which is a mistake, because it hurts. Isak looks confused, eyebrows drawn together and bottom lip jutted out slightly. "Okay," he says slowly. "I'll see you tomorrow?" 

Even wants to reassure him that there's nothing wrong with him, that it's all Even, but he knows better than to actually say of any of that. So, his way of telling Isak goes something like this: "Yeah, of course." 

He leaves quickly after that, marching past the audience they'd acquired and into the hall. The music is loud, making it hard for him to think. He appreciates that, and he takes his time walking down the stairs. He's on his way out when someone grabs his arm. "Hey, stranger." It's Mikael, eyes glassy in the dim light of Eva's living room and hair a little more mused than it had been when they arrived. Elias is behind him, appearing to be having some difficulty standing upright. "I take it that you found Isak okay?" 

Even shakes his hand off, at the same time Elias laughs and says, "You got a little something on your pants." 

Even doesn't feel like talking, especially not in a way that indulges his friend's teasing. Mikael looks concerned, but Elias, obviously plastered, is oblivious to his inner turmoil. He's about make an excuse that allows him an easy out when the music suddenly stops and someone yells that the police have arrived. 

 

***

 

Even calls in the next morning and tells Eskild he'd woken up with a flu. Eskild actually _snorts_ when he says this, and he says, "Are you sure it's not a hangover?" 

Memories of last night are still plauging his mind, and he rests his head in his hand as he assures Eskild that it's not a hangover. Eskild still doesn't seem convinced, but he nonetheless tells Even that he'll put Yousef on ring toss today. After hanging up, he lays back down in bed and looks at the ceiling. 

He must doze off eventually, because he's awoken some time later to his phone vibrating on his chest. It's Mikael, and while he dosesn't feel like talking, he doesn't want his friend to worry about him. Before any greetings are exchanged, Mikael says, "Yousef is so pissed at you, man." When Even doesn't say anything, he keeps talking. "He's been glaring one of the giant stuffed frogs in your booth all morning... he's probably planning on stealing it and giving it to Sana, or something." 

Even sighs, closing his eyes. He doesn't have anything to say, so he keeps quiet. "It's packed here today. Busiest day of the year, I'd say," Mikael explains. "I can't be on for long... but you probably don't want to talk anyway." Even can hear the tentative edge in his voice, and he hates it. Hates that he makes his friends worry, that he can't just keep his feelings under control like so many people manage to do and assure them that nothing's wrong. 

"I'm sorry," Even says, voice scratchy from misuse. He's not sure if he's apologizing for leaving them short on the busiest day of the year, or making them worry. "I'll be back tomorrow." 

Mikael's quiet for a little, and Even listens to the wind in the speaker as he waits for a response. "You better be, or else Yousef will blame you for the frog going MIA," he says eventually. The line lapses into silence again, and Even's about to hang up when Mikael says, "Call if you any time if you want to talk about anything, okay?" 

Even opens his eyes, watching the ceiling as his vision clears. "Okay." 

"I'm serious, Even." 

"Okay," he repeats, and one again promises that he'll be in tomorrow before they end the call. 

 

*** 

 

Sunday morning proves to be significantly better than Saturday morning. He gets up early, not allowing himself any time to roll around in bed and think. He's done enough thinking is what he tells himself, although he knows he could probably spend another full week in bed with nothing but him and his rampant thoughts. He also knows that this wouldn't help anything, that it'd only make things worse. 

He gets ready and walks to work, just like any other morning. It feels like nothing has changed, and maybe nothing has. Sure, he'd felt pretty bad after the party. Isak's words had made some unpleasant memories resurface, but maybe it was for the best. Maybe they were things he had to remember, and he guesses that it's better that it happened sooner rather than later. 

Things are fine for the first half of his shift. He manages to be enthusastic enough in his ring tossing that Eskild doesn't say anything when he drops by to check on the giant frogs. It's kind of pathetic, but he feels proud, because Eskild usually says something. 

Most importantly, he manages to not look for Isak. It's crowded, albeit likely not as crowded as yesterday, so this isn't a difficult feat. He can hardly see Mikael and Yousef through the steady stream of people. 

As he works, he almost manages to forget about what was troubling him. Almost, but not quite. He'd be lying if he said that he doesn't itch to look over to see if it's Isak who's stationed at the floating ducks again today, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that he doesn't give in, that he keeps reminding himself that Isak has been very clear about what he wants, and that what he wants is most definitely not Even. It stings, but he immerses himself in his work enough that it doesn't control him. 

That is, until there's a bit of a lull in the games area around midday when people are likely getting lunch. Mikael comes over as he's awarding a small stuffed horse to a man who looks like he's in his fifties. There's no one waiting after him, so Even takes the chance to grab his water and take a swig. He leans his hip against the booth, watching as Mikael stares at something across the way. "What is it?" he asks, following Mikael's gaze before he actually thinks about where he's looking. 

It's too late by time his eyes land on the box of floating ducks. Maybe his resolve isn't as strong as he'd once thought it to be, because he immediately seeks Isak out. He's standing with his back against the side of the box. It's only the side of his face that's facing Even, so he can't see much. But he _can_ see the short-haired girl from Eva's party standing across from Isak, hands behind her back. 

Even can't help but watch them for a few seconds before stealing his gaze. They look like they're just talking, but the sight still leaves a sour taste in Even's mouth. He doesn't say anything as he begins to restock the pockets of his apron with rings. 

"Do you know anything about that?" Mikael asks, sounding incredulous. 

Even shrugs, feigning nonchalance. "About what?" he asks. "Is he not allowed to talk to girls?" 

"That's not just any girl, though?" It sounds like Mikael's asking him something, but he doesn't know what it is. "Emma works on the other side of the park. She's never come over here before." 

Although Even has never spoken to the girl, has just learned her name a seconds ago, he can't help but feel annoyed by her presence. That's something he'll do his best to keep under wraps. "Okay," he says slowly. 

Mikael looks at him like he's grown a second head. "Why are you acting so cool about this?" he demands. "You never act cool about Isak. Last week, he talked to Julian for longer than five minutes and you asked _Jonas_ about them." 

Even doesn't think that's fair, considering that Julian is the maintenance guy who always lurks around Isak whenever he's called into work. Which is weird, because the box of floating ducks seldom needs maintenance. And he thinks his questioning Jonas had been casual enough to come across as small talk. 

When Even doesn't say anything, Mikael lets out a dark laugh. "What happened at that party?" 

People are approaching the booth, so Even says, "Nothing. I'll talk you later, okay?" 

As he distributes the rings out, Mikael watches. He stays for another minute, just staring at Even, until eventually emitting an obnoxious sigh that distracts the girl who's making her throw and walking away. 

Even doesn't talk to him later. He doesn't even look at his or Isak's or anybody else's booth for the rest of the day. As soon as his shift ends, he grabs his things and hightails it out of there. 

 

***

 

His tactics work well in the week that follows. He busies himself with other things during the week when business is slower, one day even helping Eskild draw faces onto the alien-shaped balloons that he says are much cheaper than stuffed aliens. Eskild's impressed by his faces, and puts Yousef in his booth so he can stay inside until all the aliens are done. 

When he has longer breaks, he stays away from the places he knows Isak frequents. Those also happen to be the places his own friends tend to go, so he finds himself heading over to the rides area of the park when he gets bored. He sees Emma a few times, but their exchanges are limited to pleasantries. He mostly talks to Eva, who's actually great and not at all overly tactile when she's sober. 

She introduces him to a few other people who work on rides, including two girls named Chris and Noora. Sana starts walking over to them at lunch with Even, and it turns out that her and the other three girls, along with Vilde, have a nice group dynamic. He's not unhappy as he sits and listens to them discuss possible venues for their next party (Eva's house is off the table), or berate Sana about Yousef. 

He does miss his own friends, whose texts asking where he's been disappearing to begin to taper off after a little while. He misses Isak, too. There are times where his longing almost gets him into trouble; like after a particular conversation with Eva about some fight in first year that Isak was involved in. Her recollections of Isak's standoffish behaviour clashes with the retelling Isak and Jonas had given him during his first week on the job, and he wants nothing more than to call him out on it and watch his cheeks flush. 

He almost messages Isak to meet after that. Almost. 

He thinks his downfall was getting too comfortable. Avoiding Isak isn't even that difficult, and by now, his friends have pretty much left him alone about it. So, after his shift on Friday, he spends a little time organizing his booth for what will surely be a busy day tomorrow. It'll be the second last Saturday that the park's opened before closing for the year. 

The summer's flown by imaginably quick, and can't help but feel a little sad as he leaves his booth. He doesn't immediately take off, just stands there and looks at the place he's spent the majority of his past two months in. He turns around after a moment, and comes face-to-face with Isak. 

Caught of guard, he takes a hasty step back, right into the front of his booth. He kicks the wood with the back of his shoe while Isak watches. For someone who's literally cornering him after a week of not speaking, Isak looks pretty innocuous. Seeing him so close after only catching faraway glimpses for so long startles Even enough that he's lost for words, his eyes fixated on Isak's tentative face. 

"Hey," Isak says. 

Even looks away, desperately searching for a distraction. Mikael and Yousef had already gone, and Eskild must've decided not to do his evening survey of the giant stuffed animals. They're alone, and the only sound he can hear is the music Eskild plays in the games area that Even doubts is ever shut off. "Hey," he says, trying to keep his voice steady. 

Even wishes Isak would say whatever it is he needs to say, because there's clearly something. He was stalling, playing with the foot of one of the balloon aliens that was hanging from Even's booth. Without looking up, he says, "You haven't been around much this week." 

"It's been busy." It hasn't been any more busy than the previous week, but Even doesn't know what else to say. 

Thankfully, Isak accepts this answer, nodding his head as he traces the alien's eyes. He smiles a small, close-mouthed smile that carves dimples into his cheeks and makes Even's knees weak. "Did you draw these?" 

Even looks at the aliens, remembers having to make a conscious effort not to model their faces after Isak's. "Yeah." 

"They're good," Isak says. "Very funny." 

Even feels his resolve weaken as he unwillingly starts to smile. "You think so?" 

Isak hums, and then drops his hand. He turns and looks at Even, the apprehension back on his face. "I wanted to say sorry for the party last Friday," he says, and Even feels his heart speed up. He doesn't think Mikael or Yousef would've told Isak anything, but he also doesn't think he's given Isak enough information to figure it out for himself. "I'd been drinking before you got there, so if I was acting weird... that's why." 

He hasn't figured it out. Even doesn't now how to feel about that. "You're fine," he assures Isak. The last thing he wants Isak to think is that this is _his_ fault. "You don't have anything to apologize for." 

Some of the nervousness leaves Isak's face, and he smiles. "No?" 

"No." Even shakes his head. "It was cool talking to you." 

This widens Isak's smile, and Even wants to appreciate that he's had this effect on him but he can't. He can't have this. Which is why when Isak takes a small step closer and asks, "What're you doing tonight?" Even knows he can't let this go on for any longer. It's not fair to torment himself like this, and it's definitely not fair to Isak who only deserves good things in life. 

"Going to Mikael's," he answers. He can't look Isak in the eyes while he talks, thinks that if were to look, he'd surely give in to every single one of Isak's (and his own) whims. "We're probably just going to watch a movie. Quiet night in." 

He almost expects Isak to make a joke about him being an old man, and is surprised when all he says is, "Oh." It's a small sound, so quiet that it hardly reaches Even's ears. 

He makes the mistake of looking at Isak before he goes. He thinks the image of Isak's dejected face will be seared into his mind forever. Those downcast eyes make him feel like just about the worst person there is, and he feels so guilty that he struggles to find any words that would help the situation. It's not like Isak waits very long for him to, and Even doesn't blame him. "I should go," Isak says, brushing past Even before he receives a response.

And this is what Even deserves for making Isak sad. He doesn't feel angry or surprised or much of anything at all; because he knows he deserves to have everything he wants held within arm's reach, only to be viciously torn away. 

 

***

 

The rest of the summer goes by without major incident. When he's at work, he's cautious of entering situations that could possibly result in disaster. Although he manages to keep a safe distance between him and Isak, it's not like they never see each other. They do, most days. It's impossible to avoid Isak completely, and there's the occasional fleeting eye contact. It's mostly initiated by Even, who blames the urge to search for Isak in any crowd on bad habits he's formed in the span of his time working at the park. Isak will look back, some times even sending weak smile his way. And then he'll look away. It's exactly what Even had been trying to accomplish with that last conversation, so why does it feel so bad?

He still hasn't told anyone about what happened, but his friends know better by now than to ask for details. Mikael tries his best to comfort him with what little information he does have, patting Even on the back as they sit in the balloon dart booth on the last day of the season and saying, "You'll feel better soon." He'd gotten his new lens delivered yesterday evening, and has been having a hard time withholding his excitement ever since. "By this time next week, we'll be out of the country and you'll have forgotten all about him." 

And maybe Even was more subtle than he gave himself credit for, because what he feels for Isak most definitely wont be gone by next week. He doesn't tell Mikael this, just nods and tries to put on a happy face. He'd like to believe that things will get better as time progresses, but that just isn't feasible when the opposite seems to be happening. 

He spends his last break with Jonas, sitting behind a booth and smoking what Jonas says is Strawberry Cough. True to it's namesake, it's the sweetest joint he's ever smoked, and he closes his eyes as his inhales in an attempt to conjure up images of an endless strawberry patch. He's half listening to what Jonas is saying, and half frolicking through the strawberry patches in his mind. 

He opens his eyes when Jonas says, "It's usually about twenty-five percent THC." 

"Fuck." He pulls from the joint again before passing it to Jonas. "Thanks for sharing." 

Jonas nods. "I figured it was a celebatory occasion." He then laughs, holding the joint to his lips. "Isak's gonna be pissed when he finds out. This is his favorite." 

Even smells the smoke as Jonas exhales, letting his eyes fall shut again. He finds his way back to the strawberry patch, and this time he's not alone. Isak walks alongside him, and their hands are intertwined, swinging between them. It's such a vivid image in his mind that Even thinks he can even feel the warmth of Isak's hand in his, but it turns out that it's just Jonas pushing the joint back into his hand. 

They smoke for longer than their break allows, and Even can't find it in him to care. He feels more relaxed than he has in a long time, and when Jonas suggests that they go on the bumper cars, it sounds like the best idea anyone's ever heard. 

He doesn't know how long they're on the bumper cars for. It feels like time has slowed right down, and the only way to make it move is to slam his car into some unsuspecting kid's. The kid is out for his head after that, chasing him around the area and aggressively bumping his car whenever he gets the opportunity. Jonas finds the whole thing hilarious, driving in slow circles and making too much noise. 

Every so often, Even licks his lips and is transported back to the strawberry patch with Isak. And then there comes a time he opens his eyes and Isak's _there_ , standing in front of him. Well, there's a barricade between them, but the nose of Even's car is pressed against it and they're so close. 

Even thinks there's someone standing beside Isak, but he'd have to actually look away from Isak to find out for sure. He stares openly, wondering how it is that someone can be even better in reality than they are in dreams. He thinks he'll ask Isak, that Isak will probably know the answer because he's the smartest person Even knows. 

Even abandones his car and climbs over the barricade. He nearly falls, but Isak's there holding onto his arm. His hand is on Even's skin, and Even don't remember what he was going to ask. He lifts his hand and places it over Isak's, and it feels better than he anything he could've imagined. 

He's not entirely sure why he does this. It doesn't occur to him that this is not something they do, but it doesn't look like it occurs to Isak either, because he's not moving his hand. 

"Hey," Even says, grinning. 

Isak looks at him, eyes trailing from his eyes to his lips. He seems to realize something as he looks at Even's lips; something that causes him to dislodge his hand from Even's. He takes a step away from Even, and calls something out to someone who's behind Even. Maybe Jonas, but Even wouldn't know. He can't hear over the voice that's in his ear.

It's Eskild, demanding to know what was going on. Even's not in any state to form a reply that wouldn't further the amount of trouble he and Jonas are in, so he keeps quiet, stands still with his head hanging like a child being told off by their parent. Eskild seems to eventually realize that he's only attracting more attention to the scene, and drags Even and Jonas somewhere less public. 

Most of what Eskild says is lost to Even, his mind elsewhere. He's beginning to realize what he's done, the pleasant haze he's been caught in fading the more Eskild talks. There's a point where Eskild taps his shoulder, and he lifts his head to find a face of utter disappointment. "What's the first thing I told you after I hired you?" Eskild asks. 

It takes Even a little while, but he eventually says, "Put on this shirt?"

"No." Eskild groans, dragging his palms down his face. "I told you to protect the giant stuffed frogs with your life." 

Even looks at Jonas, furrowing his eyebrows. "Did you not tell Jonas that?" 

Eskild groans again. "I did, I did. That's not the point." He holds up two fingers and says, "This is how many giant frogs were in your booth this morning." He puts down a finger. "This is how many are in there now." When Even doesn't say anything, Eskild cocks his head. "I don't suppose someone _won_ that frog?" 

Jonas is looking at the ground, smirking. Even is confused. "Isn't this the last day we're open?" 

"Wow! Good job." Eskild claps his hands slowly. "I'm glad you remembered that, at least. Now, what do you suggest we do next year when we need _two_ giant frogs in the ring toss booth and we only have _one_?" 

Even's not sure if he's supposed to answer, so he just shrugs and says, "I don't know." 

Eskild sighs, shaking his head. "Neither do I." 

 

***

 

Even's done a lot of things he shouldn't have in this life. The only difference is that his excuse this time around is hardly legitimate. Even hadn't been influenced to get fucked up on high quality weed at work by anyone other than himself. He hadn't felt out of control of himself while smoking, and he'd only agreed to the bumper car thing because it sounded better than tossing rings for the next three hours. By the time he gets home the evening after the whole debacle, he feels fine. A little tired, but fine. 

While in bed, his phone buzzing with a steady stream of messages that're most likely from Mikael and Yousef, he thinks about Isak. He thinks about the warmth of his hand, and the concern written across his face. 

He stays up until the early hours of the morning writing a lengthy apology that'll never leave his drafts. 

 

***

 

Even sees Isak in every corner on every narrow street in every country he visits. He hears him in every song in every taxi and in every bar. He swims in the blue rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, walks through the underground cistern where that '63 Bond film was shot in Istanbul, and meets people from all over the world on rainy days spent in a small hostel in Slovenia. No two days are the same; but one constant remains. He's always reminded of Isak. 

He's talking to a stranger in a bar in Cologne one night after drinking too much. His hand is clasped around his _Rauchbier_ and he's disclosing information that the woman beside him probably doesn't care to hear. He's not even sure she understands him. She just nods as he tells her about what happened at Eva's party, and when he gets to the end of the story, she speaks in English with a heavy accent. "He sounds rude." 

This offends Even more than he would've thought. "What?" He narrows his eyes at her. "Isak's not rude." 

If she picks up on his distaste, she doesn't let it show. "Forget him," she says, placing a hand on his arm. 

Even stares at her hand, startled. Maybe she hadn't understood what he was saying. He's trying to find something to say that'd let her know he's not interested, and that he's actually still pretty offended by her insulting Isak, when Mikael's suddenly pulling him upright. "Taxi's here," he says. 

 

***

 

All in all, it's a good time. There's a fair amount of drinking, quite a bit of broken English, and a few tears shed. On the nights Even can't sleep, Mikael hands him his DSLR and tells him that he'll never be forgiven if it gets stolen. Even doesn't think for a moment that it's hyperbole, so he makes sure to stick around areas that he deems relatively safe. Documenting what he's seeing helps him make sense of it all, and he usually finds himself able to go back to the hostel and fall asleep some time in the night. 

It's in Amsterdam that Even decides he's going home. They've been at it for almost two months, and it's nearing the end of October. They'd planned to go all the way to the beginning of December if they could afford it, but there's a moment that Even realizes that he's seen everything he wants to see, and there's only one place he wants to be. 

He's drunkenly waxed poetic about Isak enough by then for Yousef to eye him when he says, "Isak texted me." They're sitting in a cafe (Even hasn't touched weed since the Strawberry Cough incident), and the others guys grow quiet at the mention of Isak. "He says that he hopes we're having a good trip, and that Sana wont shut up about me." He smiles as he says that last part, and Elias scoffs from across the table. 

"Can you ask him how his semester's going?" Even says before he can overthink it. 

Yousef levels him with a look. "I think you should do that, Even." 

So, he does. The guys are surprised when he tells them he's going home, and Yousef says, "I thought you'd just text him or something." But then he imediately texts Sana for Isak's address, and promptly sends it to Even. When they hug after he's packed his things, he can tell Yousef's proud of him from the way he pats his back. 

It's getting dark by the time he arrvies in Oslo, and he's antsy to see Isak. But he needs to brush his teeth and shower (he owes Isak that much), so he heads home first. His parents are surprised to see him, but he thinks they might be even more surprised when he emerges from the shower after five minutes, fully dressed and luggage still packed, and tells them that he's heading out. 

When he gets to Isak's flat, it's not Isak who answers the door. His eyes widen when he sees Eskild, standing before him in a silken robe. He hadn't even thought about this. Maybe that's a good thing, because he might've been too scared to show up for this sole reason. He tries to gather himself, clearing his throat and asking, "Is Isak home?" 

Eskild looks at him up and down, leaning against the door frame. "Aren't you supposed to be... in another country?" he says instead of answering Even's question. 

Even shrugs. "I came back." 

Eskild purses his lips, and then says, "I think we need to talk." 

This is a bit worrisome to Even, who steps inside the flat with a sinking stomach. Eskild leads him to the living room, sitting on the sofa. "Is Isak okay?" Even asks, following suit. 

Eskild looks at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Yes," he says slowly. "Why wouldn't he be?" 

Even's shoulders sag in relief. "I don't know." 

"You never seem to," Eskild says, and before Even can respond, asks, "Do you want to know something about Isak?" Eskild will probably tell him whatever it is he wants to tell him whether he answers or not, but Even still nods, prompting him to continue. "He didn't own shorts when I hired him at the park." 

Even looks at the black television screen in front of the couch, his own reflection staring back at him. He just wants to see Isak, but he guesses indulging Eskild is an obstacle he has to navigate to do so. "Okay?" 

"So, I went out and bought him some," Eskild says. "I came home with them, and Isak took them out of the bag and said he didn't need them." He laughs. "But guess what? He started wearing them the next week." 

Even's not sure what his reaction is supposed to be. "That's nice," is what he settles on saying. 

This displeases Eskild, who rolls his eyes and stands up. "Even, you're not reading between the lines. The shorts aren't just _shorts_." 

The exhaustion from being awake for so long is starting to kick in, so Even tries his hand at being honest. "I don't know what you're trying to say." 

Eskild sighs, and then says, "He was really adamant about not wearing the shorts at first... I don't know why. They're nice shorts." He purses his lips. "But what I'm trying to say is, some times we say things we don't mean." 

"What?" 

Eskild looks at him, crossing his arms over his chest. "Isak said he didn't need the shorts, but guess what he needed as soon as his legs started boiling up underneath his jeans?" he says. "He said something that wasn't true, and when he realized that, he changed his opinion and put on the damn shorts." 

Even feels like he's back at Eva's, sitting in the tub while Isak unknowingly shatters his hopes and dreams. "How do you know?" he asks quietly. 

Eskild smiles at him, shaking his head. "I don't." 

The sound of a door opening in the hallway makes them look up and in its direction. Even's still shaken from the conversation, but the feeling dissipates as soon as Isak enters the room. 

He comes to a halt as soon as he sees Even, eyes wide. "What are you doing here?" he asks immediately, which, admittedly, isn't the first thing Even wanted to hear come out of his mouth. Still, it's Isak, so Even's entranced. He hasn't heard seen him, hasn't heard his voice in months. His hair has grown out, spilling onto his forehead in curls that are a little darker than they'd been in the summer. He's wearing a hoodie and jeans, and it occurs to Even that he'd probably been in school today. 

"I came to talk," Even said, standing up. 

"Talk?" Isak laughs, although he doesn't look like he's finding the situation funny. "You couldn't have called?" 

Even looks at Eskild, who appears to be enjoying himself more than he should be. He's no help for Even, today's supply of sage wisdom seemingly having been sapped out of him. He shrugs, raising his eyebrows, and Even looks back at Isak. "Should I go?" 

"No," Isak says immediately, and Even feels a glimmer of hope. Eskild hasn't moved, and Isak glares at him for a moment before saying, "We can talk in my room." 

It's the first time he's seen Isak's room, but it's also the first time he's seen Isak in _months_. He watches Isak sit down on his bed, wavering in the doorway for a few seconds before taking a few long strides and doing the same. There's a textbook open on the floor, and Even gestures to it. "Some light reading before bed?" 

Isak rolls his eyes. "Did you come all the way back just to make that joke?" 

"That's right." Even nods, trying for sincerity. "Do you think it was worth it?" 

Isak snorts, crossing his legs and leaning his back against the wall. "Definitely." The images he has plastered up on it are grounds for teasing, but Even's kind of busy right now. He's busy looking at Isak, and then he's busy surging forward. It's a bit awkward, and he has to do some manoeuvring so he's actually close enough because he was sitting pretty far away and maybe he should've waited until they'd talked a little more and gotten comfortable. But they're already kissing and there's no going back now, is there?

Not that Even would _want_ to go back. Why would he want to go anywhere when he has a hand cupping Isak's chin and he's doing what he's wanted to do since his first shift at the park? Isak's clearly caught off guard, but he's not moving away. He's actually not reacting at all, and as the seconds tick by, Even finds himself losing the tiny bit of hope he'd managed to garner from their little reunion. Still, he persists, gently moving his lips until he feels Isak's doing the same. 

And isn't that the best feeling. The kiss doesn't last for long, and Even needs to know how Isak's feeling about this. He leans back, dropping his hand from Isak's chin.

Isak looks a little dazed, and he doesn't say anything for a long time. Even feels like he's waiting on his haunches for at least a couple minutes, but he'll wait as long he has to. The waiting eventually pays off, and Isak reaches out to touch his the back of his head. He'd tried to fix his hair while it was still wet, but that'd been a one minute job and it was probably a mess now that it was dry. Isak doesn't seem to mind, running his fingers through it. "You're here," he says.

Even swallows, the words somehow making him sad. Which is ridiculous because he is here, and Isak's here, and this is all he wants. "I am." 

Isak smiles, looking at him through half-lidded eyes. He tilts his chin upwards and applies a bit of pressure on the back of Even's head. He doesn't have to say anything for Even to know what he wants. 

He presses a chaste kiss to Isak's lips, and then another. He's smiling in between kisses, and so is Isak, until he goes in for a third. His lips touch the corner of Isak's mouth, and he draws back. Isak's fingers are still laced in his hair, but he's no longer smiling. "What is it?" Even asks. 

Isak sighs softly, letting his hand fall from Even's hair. "What about Mikael?" 

Even feels a little irrationally angry at his friend, because why is Isak talking about him right now? "What about him?" he says. "He's in Amsterdam." 

"Are you going to break up with him?" 

The question stuns Even into silence, but only for a few seconds, and then he's sitting back and looking at Isak. "What?" 

Isak looks back at him through narrowed eyes. "You guys were together last I saw you?" 

"Together?" Even says. "What do you mean 'together'? We're friends." 

This makes Isak open his mouth, and then close it. And then open it again, and say, "But you guys were... always touching?" He shakes his head, eyebrows furrowed. "You rejected me to go watch a movie at his house?" 

Even was in disbelief, startled laughter spilling from his lips. "That was because of something else," he says. "Mikael is my best friend. You can talk to Yousef or any of the others guys if you don't believe me." 

Isak raises his head to look at him, and he says, "I believe you." 

It's still troubling to him that Isak thought he was dating his best friend for almost four months, but it eases his mind a bit to see Isak looking at him with such soft eyes. He feels like it's as good a time as any to say, "And what about Emma?" 

Isak scrunches his nose, and Even has to fight back a smile. "Please don't tell me you thought I was dating Emma." 

"I saw you talking to her after Eva's party." 

"She was in the bathroom after you left, so we talked for a little." He shrugs. "She wasn't really friends with Eva and them, so I told her she could come hang out in the games area if she wanted." 

Even allows a smile at that admission, reaching out to put a hand overtop of the one Isak has resting on his knee. "That's nice of you," he says, his smile growing as Isak looks down at their hands. "I didn't think you were dating. Mikael did, though." 

Isak smirks, turning his head so his palm is pressing against Even's. "This is what I was talking about." He winds their fingers together. "You're always talking about Mikael." 

"You're jealous?" Even teases, holding their intertwined hands up. 

Isak doesn't say anything, just tilts his chin up and smiles softly. Even thinks this might become a problem in the future, because he doesn't think they'll ever be a time or place where he'll be able to resist _this_. After what is by far the sweetest kiss Even has ever been a part of, he rests his forehead against Isak, who breathes, "We're going to have to talk about Eva's party," against his lips. 

The words make Even nervous, but he's not going to let that fear dictate his actions like it has done so many times in the past. He holds onto Isak's hand a little tighter. When he says, "Tomorrow," he means it.

Tomorrow he'll explain himself to Isak. It wont be easy, because there are things he's done and said that even he doesn't understand. He'll apologize for the things he should've already apologized for (see: Strawberry Cough), and maybe Eskild's metaphors wont break down so easily. Maybe Isak will hear him out, maybe do a bit of explaining himself, and something can work. He'd really like for that to be the case. 

But that's for tomorrow. Tonight's for sprawling out on Isak's bed and giggling into each other's mouths, for watching a romantic comedy that Even loves to hate on Isak's laptop, and for getting distracted by each other during said movie. It's for telling Isak about the beer in Germany, and for promising to take him there some time in the near future.

Tonight's for Isak throwing him a comfortable shirt to wear to bed, and for picking up the shirt to find an all too familiar black scrawl and red heart splayed across the front.

**Author's Note:**

> we never learned what the milk bottle metaphor was, but eskild came in clutch with the shorts metaphor so hope that made up for it. also get this: isak and even, smoking strawberry cough together. missed opportunity imo


End file.
